Call of Duty: WWII dominates November in sales according to NPD, Star Wars Battlefront II disappoints

As most would have expected after its loot box debacle, Star Wars Battlefront II’s sales are looking disappointing in the United States according to the NPD Group. It’s not all doom and gloom for November games though as Call of Duty: WWII dominated with over 4 million units sold.

Call of Duty: WWII’s 4.4 million units sold helped boost console video game sales year over year, which rose by 9% to $842 million. Star Wars Battlefront II, however, sold a meager 882,000 units. Call of Duty did launch two weeks earlier than Battlefront II, but the difference in sales is still enormous. Wedbush securities believes that Battlefront II sales may rebound after December 15 when the newest film in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, opens in theaters.

It’s important to note that the NPD Group only accounts for physical sales in the United States. Digital sales are not factored into their numbers. Still, even with the rise of digital gaming in recent years, Battlefront II’s sales aren’t impressive. We already know that they fell by 60% compared to the first Battlefront in the UK, and it’s hard to imagine digital sales from different regions making up for that deficit.

Star Wars Battlefront II’s loot boxes were so controversial that the negative publicity lead the company to pull them from the game entirely before launch. Not only that, but government officials from around the world have taken to calling loot boxes a form of gambling.

Call of Duty: WWII on the other hand is experiencing a great year compared to last when Infinite Warfare launched. Many fans were happy to return to boots on the ground gameplay after years of more futuristic titles, even if Call of Duty: WWII has its own issues. It looks like the decision to go back to their roots paid off for Activision.

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